ARCAS Board and Staff Members
ARCAS BOARD PRESIDENT
Roberto Rodriguez
Roberto Rodriguez in 2014 was elected president of ARCAS’s board of directors, replacing Dr. Roberto Monterroso who held the position since de early 90s. Roberto is an accomplished lawyer and businessman and works with ARCAS staff in improving ARCAS’s business profile and sustainability.
ARCAS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Miriam Monterroso
Miriam Monterroso is a well-known lawyer and environmentalist in Guatemala and has been ARCAS’s Executive Director since 1994. She is in charge of policy level activities having to do with wildlife advocacy, having served on the boards of the National Forestry Institute, the National Council of Protected Areas, the IUCN national committee as well as the association of environmental NGOs
ARCAS ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
Colum Muccio
Colum Muccio has been ARCAS´s Administrative Director since 1995, overseeing almost all of the associations’s fundraising, public relations and project management activities. He takes a leading role in sea turtle research, conservation and marine advocacy activities at ARCAS. He is also an avid explorer of Guatemala and to date has climbed 35 of the 37 volcanoes in the country.
ARCAS FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT
Elizabeth Yanes
Elizabeth Yanes is ARCAS’s financial coordinator, handling all accounting and reporting functions for the association, and has gained valuable expertise in administering funds for other governmental entities.
ARCAS PROJECT COORDINATOR
Luisa Ortiz
Luisa Ortiz is ARCAS’s project coordinator at the central office, handling the logistics and coordination of governmental projects administered by ARCAS. She is working on her business administration degree from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala
ARCAS VETERINARIAN/ DIRECTOR PETEN PROGRAM
Fernando Martinez
Fernando Martinez has worked with ARCAS since 1994 when he interned at the Rescue Center as a veterinary student. As ARCAS’s director in Peten, he is responsible for the administration of the Rescue Center and is a virtual walking encyclopedia on wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in the Maya Biosphere Reserve. He has imparted countless training courses for rescue center workers throughout Central America.
ARCAS VETERINARIAN / ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Alejandro Morales
Alejandro Morales is a veterinary doctor who assists Fernando in the administration of the Rescue Center in Peten, focusing primarily on animal health and welfare. Alejandro is a very enthusiastic doctor who and helps in is networking with US universities to expand the wildlife veterinary training program.
ARCAS HAWAII
Lucía Garcia
Lucia Garcia is a biologist graduated from the Del Valle University and since 2013 has served as the director of our Hawaii program on the Pacific coast of Guatemala. She is an expert in working with local communities in sustainable development in a coastal marine setting.
ARCAS PETEN
Anna Bryant
Anna is from New Zealand and first came to Guatemala in 2012 as a volunteer at the Peten Rescue Center. She fell in love with the project and has stayed on as volunteer coordinator.
ARCAS ENVIROMENTAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Juan Manuel Pérez
Juan Manuel Perez is the director of ARCAS’s environmental education department and is directly in charge of caring for recently-confiscated animals in the central office. He coordinates the sea turtle population monitoring program on the Pacific coast of the country. He is also a biologist working on his Masters degree in wildlife management at the Del Valle University.